


A Not-So-Supernatural Christmas

by wolfie_winchester



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Christmas Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-25
Updated: 2015-12-25
Packaged: 2018-05-09 07:10:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5530535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolfie_winchester/pseuds/wolfie_winchester
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In other words, Dean gets to celebrate his first real Christmas with his family since he went to Hell. And for once, he doesn't have to worry about fighting monsters in between getting his Christmas shopping done. It's also Castiel's first time celebrating the holiday and Dean's determined to make it the best damn Christmas the angel will ever have.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Not-So-Supernatural Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas everyone! Hope you haven't gotten sick of reading all the Destiel fics that get put out during this time of the year! I know I haven't! I also hope you enjoy this one as much as you enjoyed the others!

With their first real home since the night Mary died, comes their first Christmas that isn’t just drinking store bought eggnog in a crappy motel room while unwrapping gifts found at the local gas stations. The Darkness is out there wreaking havoc and God’s nowhere to be found, but Dean is determined to enjoy his Christmas with his family nonetheless.

 

The tree they bring back to the bunker makes him sneeze and it’s leaving a mess in its wake, but that’s sort of what makes it perfect. The sight of it in the corner of the library makes happiness bloom in his chest and he isn’t even upset when it takes him forever to untangle the stupid Christmas lights they bought. Sam and Cas help him get the lights on the tree and then they start decorating. Dean makes a joke about having an actual angel for a tree topper and Sam rolls his eyes while Cas looks on in mild annoyance. In the end, they just put a star on top of the tree and when Dean turns the lights off, the bunker is bathed in hues of color.

 

“It’s beautiful, Dean,” Cas says, staring at the tree with childlike wonder in his eyes.

 

It occurs to him then that this will be Cas’ first Christmas with them. All the other years they’d been too busy thwarting apocalypse number whatever to celebrate. This time will be different. He’s already bought food for Christmas dinner and with the snow starting to fall outside, it’s only a matter of time before he introduces the angel to the delights of snowball fights and making snowmen - things Dean himself hasn’t done since he was a child.

 

Thankfully, the days leading up to Christmas are quiet. It seems that the monsters are taking a holiday break as well, because they barely hear anything aside from a harmless haunting down in Florida and a case in Illinois that just turns out to be a couple of kids out causing trouble. Dean takes the time to introduce Cas to the finer aspects of humanity.

 

They watch Christmas movies on TV - and Cas finally finds out who Clarence is - and Dean shows the angel how to bake chocolate chip cookies. When Dean hands Cas the spoon covered with cookie dough, the angel only stares at the utensil, then at him, a curious, yet confused expression on your face.

 

“It’s good. Try it,” Dean prompts, as he slides a tray into the oven.

 

Cas tries the cookie dough in little kitten licks that turn into him smiling in delight when he discovers he likes the taste. Dean chuckles as Cas licks the spoon clean and he’s suddenly reminded of how he used to do the same when he was a kid and Mary would bake cookies for Santa.

 

Speaking of - it turns out the concept of Santa Claus is an utterly ridiculous one, at least to Castiel. He doesn’t understand how celebrating Christ’s birth has turned into a celebration surrounding a man who, quote ‘breaks into people’s houses in the middle of the night to leave gifts’. Dean and Sam can’t help but laugh at Cas’ innocence and Dean tries to explain that it’s not actually Santa, but the ‘Christmas spirit’ that people believe in. He thinks that it helps, but Cas still regards the red Santa hat that Sam’s wearing with suspicion.

 

As the holiday approaches, Dean decides that it’d be a good idea to go out and buy presents. After all, what’s the point of a Christmas tree if there’s nothing to put under it?

 

The stores are packed with Christmas shoppers, as to be expected in late December. Sam and Dean take the Impala, while Cas follows behind in his Continental as they drive out to the nearest strip mall. He’s never really been the guy who goes to malls to do all his shopping, but as with everything else this time of year, he’s willing to make an exception.

 

They go their separate ways in the parking lot and Dean stuffs his hands into his pocket, shivering in the frigid air. Snow is already dusting the ground here and he suspects that his Impala will have turned white by the time they finish shopping.

 

Dean stops in a Barnes & Noble first. Sam loves to read and he’s learned that Cas is quite the bookworm as well. The store is bustling with bright eyed children and their families, old ladies perusing the shelves for a perfect gift for a grandkid. He can barely hear the Christmas music flowing from the overhead speakers over all the low hum of people talking.  

 

He finds the fantasy section easily enough and he doesn’t even hesitate buying Cas the first few books in the Song of Ice and Fire series. His angel’s been on a Game of Thrones kick lately, and Dean figures he’ll enjoy reading it just as much as he enjoys watching it. He spies one of those fancy tablet things that Charlie had when she visited them once and he remembers Sam staring wistfully at it, proclaiming how much he hated the thing before admitting in a jealous voice that he wanted one.

 

Dean feels slightly guilty with using his fake credit card to buy things, but they’re short on real money and he’s pretty sure that they don’t actually have any legit cards to begin with. So he gets Sam his fancy tablet and he gets Cas his books before he sets out again. By the time he leaves, he’s got armfuls of bags and if he were a normal person with real money, he might be mourning for his wallet. But he supposes that’s one of the few advantages about living like they do.

 

He sets all the bags in the trunk but makes sure the most important gift he got is tucked safely in his inner jacket pocket. He’d seen it and after a lot of deliberation, decided to hell with it. But for the rest of the day, it feels heavier than it should be and even after they’ve all returned home and hidden the presents away to be wrapped later, he can still feel it’s presence like a physical thing.

 

The bunker gets colder as the snow piles up outside. Dean and Sam go on several expeditions to try and find the thermostat and eventually, sweet, blessed heat flows through the place and makes it as cozy as a hobbit’s home. He’s kind of gone overboard with the baking - turned into a real Martha Stewart, he thinks - but it’s not as though it’s going to waste. Cas can eat all his cookies without fearing any consequences to his health and Sam indulges in a few snacks now and then while he’s lounging in his room watching Netflix.

 

It’s almost a week before Christmas and Dean’s out shovelling the walkway with Sam and Cas. Unfortunately, the one disadvantage of having a super secret lair is that nobody comes by to plow the path for them. Dean’s back is sore by the time they call it quits - it’s only half done, much to his chagrin - and Cas offers to massage him to help with the aches and pain. Dean agrees with only some hesitance and before he knows it, he’s dozing in his bed while Cas works his magic fingers.

 

When he wakes up, he’s been covered by a blanket and there’s a hand combing through his hair. Dean’s eyes flicker open and he sees Cas sitting next to him in bed, reading one of the lore books from the library.

 

“What time is it?” he asks, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

 

“Nearly seven. Would you like dinner?” Cas offers.

 

Dean glances at the clock where it reads six fifty pm and he nods.

 

“If it’s not too much trouble,” he replies.

 

Cas smiles and lays a kiss to his forehead.

 

“Of course it’s not,” he murmurs. “Stay here. I’ll come get you when it’s done.”

 

Dean hums softly and nods again, letting his head fall back onto the pillow. He closes his eyes, though he doesn’t fall back asleep. Instead, he simply lets his mind wander where it will. He thinks about Cas, inevitably. About how far the angel has come since they met. Dean’s absurdly proud of his angel and he wonders if he’ll ever be able to express that adequately enough. He thinks again of the small box hidden in his sock drawer, a simple red ribbon and bow adorning it, hoping that maybe that will be enough.

 

Cas has become an excellent cook over the course of his stay here. Dean’s taught him well and they all sit down to spaghetti and meatballs, which taste fantastic. Cas is sitting next to him and he rests a hand on Dean’s thigh underneath the table. Dean doesn’t miss a beat and he grabs it, lacing their fingers together. He can glimpse the small smile that graces Cas’ face out of the corner of his eye and he squeezes Cas’ hand, getting a small squeeze back in return.

 

This isn’t really new territory for them. They’ve been...whatever they are, for months now. Though if Dean’s being realistic, it feels like it’s been years. Since they met, Dean’s felt a connection to Cas and it’s only recently he’s finally had the courage to do something about it. But even before, they would dance around each other, always reaching but never quite touching. Until one night during Cas’ brief stint as a human, he’d had a nightmare and asked Dean to stay with him so he could sleep. Since then, Dean and Cas have started taking turns sleeping in each other’s rooms. One of these days, Dean thinks, he’ll have enough courage to ask Cas to just make things easier and move in with him, even if it’s just down the hall.

 

He streams Christmas music from Pandora throughout the day on Christmas Eve and plans to do the same tomorrow morning. Honestly, he’s never been more excited for the holiday. His brother is alive and safe, and he has his angel by his side, which is more than enough. He could even go without the tree and the Christmas cookies and the decorations which Sam had bought from the dollar store while they were out the other day. Sure, things might be a little dull, but he’d have all the things that matter to him right here.

 

Nonetheless, Dean feels as though he’s on the precipice of something huge when Christmas comes the next morning. He wakes up earlier than normal and even though he’d gotten up in the middle of the night to place the presents under the tree, he’s not very tired. He makes a pot of coffee for everyone and out of habit, starts making breakfast. By the time he has bacon sizzling in a pan, Sam and Cas have emerged from their rooms. Dean smiles at them in their groggy states, offering his brother a cup of coffee.

 

“Merry Christmas, guys,” he says.

 

“Merry Christmas, Dean,” Sam mumbles, smiling as he takes a sip of his coffee. His hair’s a mess and he’s still wearing his pajamas and Dean thinks it’s kind of awesome that they can actually do this. That they can be lazy in their pajamas for a while and open gifts on Christmas.

 

“Hungry?” he asks, hiding his enthusiasm until his brother is a little more awake.

 

The two nod and Dean brings over a plate of pancakes that he’s covered with a towel to keep them hot. There’s blueberry for Sam and chocolate chip for Cas and Dean, which he can’t wait to devour. Cas drowns his pancakes in an alarming amount of syrup and Dean chuckles as he turns off the stove and gets his own plate, before sitting down at the table with them.

 

“Do you want some pancakes with your syrup, Cas?” Dean teases.

 

“Don’t act as though you don’t do the same thing,” Cas chastises, watching with a pointed look as Dean does pretty much the exact same thing.

 

“I know, I just like messing with you,” he replies, chuckling to himself.

 

Cas huffs, but he’s smiling in a way that makes Dean’s heart do funny things in his chest. He rests a hand on the table and it’s not long before Cas hesitantly reaches out and nudges Dean’s hand with his. Dean glances at him, then at Sam, and he laces their fingers together. Sam doesn’t even blink and he asks if Dean can pass the syrup, unless of course they used it all already.

 

“You...you’re okay...with this?” Dean asks, even if he’s pretty sure he already knows the answer.

 

“Dude, as long as I don’t have to sit here and be subjected to watching you two lovesick idiots make hearteyes at each other, I’m fine with it,” Sam replies, which is almost exactly what Dean thought he would say.

 

He smiles and Sam rolls his eyes, muttering something under his breath about how it’s ‘about damn time’ before he takes a bite of his blueberry pancakes. Dean glances over at Cas, who’s got chocolate at the corner of his mouth, and the angel tilts his head to the side in confusion when Dean laughs.

 

“Is something wrong?” he asks.

 

“No, Cas. Everything’s perfect,” he murmurs, leaning over to lick away the chocolate. Cas’ breath hitches and Sam makes fake gagging noises, complaining about how they have a room for that you know. Dean apologizes with only a little remorse and he pulls away from his angel so they can finish their breakfast and get on to the gift giving.

 

They’re all sitting cross-legged next to the Christmas tree after they’ve cleaned up the kitchen and Dean tries to hide his excitement after seeing all the presents tucked under its branches. He reaches underneath and finds a present for each of them, passing them out before they all tear into their gifts at once.

 

Dean unwraps season one of Dr. Sexy and he gets a new pair of slippers to go along with his robe. There’s a big bag of Kit Kats that he immediately opens and he shares some with Sam and Cas while he goes through more of his presents. Cas has gotten the two of them ugly Christmas sweaters, which Dean might make faces at for show but will probably end up wearing at some point before the new year. He gets a coffee mug from Sam that reads ‘World’s Best Big Brother’ in cartoony script and he laughs, setting it carefully to the side.

 

Sam practically cries when he unwraps his new tablet and he squeezes Dean so hard that he thinks he might have bruised a rib. Dean laughs - or tries to at least - and pats Sam on the back, saying something about how he remembered how much his brother wanted one. Sam also gets a comfy looking robe so he and Dean can be both be grumpy old men in the morning. He gets a few gift cards so he can put music and books and stuff on his new device and he hugs his tablet to him like a child, which just makes Dean laugh.

 

Cas smiles when he finds the books Dean gifted to him and he thanks Dean with a kiss on the cheek. He got one of those backward robe snuggie things from Sam and Dean also decided to get him a couple of packets of flower seeds that he can plant in the spring and summer, along with a handful of gardening tools.

 

“I’ve always wanted a garden,” Cas says, smiling as he sets his gifts next to him in a small pile.

 

“I know,” Dean replies.

 

They’re about to get up so they can put their gifts away, when Sam notices the small box that’s almost hidden under the tree.

 

“Hey, there’s one more!” he exclaims, reaching under with his long arms and grabbing it. He reads the tag and hands it over to Cas. “It’s for you.”

 

Cas regards the black box curiously and he undoes the ribbon before lifting the lid. Dean’s heart is in his throat and he’s pretty sure it stops when Cas gasps and his eyes go wide.

 

“Dean?” he breathes, glancing over at the hunter.

 

“I...” Dean scoots a little closer and takes Cas’ hand in his. “You know I’m not good with...with talking about this kinda stuff. But...you and I have been through hell together - literally - and I...I realized I never thanked you for staying by my side all this time. I know it’s kind of selfish, to ask you to stay with me even after all the times I’ve screwed up. But...I need you, Cas.”

 

Dean slides the small silver ring out of its box and holds it up, watching Cas’ expression carefully.

 

“Castiel...will...will you stay with me?”

 

Cas swallows hard and he smiles, his eyes gone soft and bright, shining with tears. He nods and leans forward, kissing Dean soundly on the lips, allowing the hunter to slip the ring onto his finger.

 

“Yes,” Cas whispers when they pull away. “I will always be with you, Dean. No matter what.”

 

“Oh thank God,” Dean sighs in relief, hugging him tightly.

 

“I don’t believe my father had anything to do with it,” Cas remarks.

 

Dean laughs and shakes his head.

 

“You’re right. It’s all us, isn’t it? Our ‘profound bond’?”

 

“You remember that?”

 

“Of course I do, idiot.

 

Cas chuckles and he kisses Dean again, smiling happily against his lips. Dean can feel himself vibrating with energy, wanting nothing more than to shout to the heavens that Cas said yes. Instead, he settles for tugging Cas closer, tangling hands into his angel’s hair. Cas slides one hand around to the back of his neck and Dean shivers when he feels the cool silver against his skin.

 

“You know, I kind of set the bar pretty high, didn’t I?” Dean mumbles.

 

“How’s that?” Cas asks.

 

“I proposed to you on your first Christmas. Gonna be pretty hard to top that,” he says.

 

“I suppose you’re right. Although I think next year will be just as perfect. After all, it’ll be our first Christmas as husbands.”

 

Dean’s heart thuds loudly at the word ‘husbands’ and he smiles, almost as if he’s in a daze. He nods in agreement, thinking that perhaps Cas is right. They’ve got a lot of firsts ahead of them now, and Dean can’t wait to experience them all.

  



End file.
